


March, Revisited

by ottermo



Series: Fandot Creativity [18]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: F/M, Fandot Creativity, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 21:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14317203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Fills from the March ’18 FCN. So far: a lambing, an umbrella, a group chat, and another round of the “words of one sound” game!





	1. Autumn

The sheep nuzzled wearily at her newborn lamb, half obscured by the fresh straw Arthur had laid that morning.

“There’s a good girl,” said Carolyn fondly. Martin grinned to himself. It remained a rare treat to hear the usually surly farmer whispering sweet nothings to her prized sheep in the presence of other humans. That said, it had not been a quick lambing, and everyone was a bit tired by now. Perhaps Carolyn was forgetting herself slightly.

Douglas returned a few moments later, Arthur in tow. Talisker, the farm cat, was winding her way between Arthur’s legs in an attempt to trip him up, which he was avoiding quite heroically.

“Ah, did we miss it?” Douglas said, not sounding overly disappointed. His mouth twitched, a sure sign that he was about to make a Terrific Pun. “Has… has _Mary had a little lamb_?”

Martin groaned, and even Carolyn returned enough to her senses to roll her eyes. “We know full well you left just so you could come back and ask that.”

Douglas grinned, and bent down to pat the sheep gently on the head. “Well done, Mary. Sorry for taking advantage.”

Arthur was peering at the lamb. “Do they have a name yet?”

“No,” said Carolyn. “You may as well think of one.”

It was the practice at Fitton Farm - as with many smaller holdings - to follow a pattern of alphabetical naming, so as to more easily identify a lamb’s lineage. Unsurprisingly, Arthur began to list off possible names beginning with M.

“Margaret… Milly-Molly-Mandy?”

“Arthur,” said Carolyn pointedly, “Mary is from the ‘O’ line. Ottery St Mary, you remember?”

“Oh!”

“Quite.”

“No, I mean, ‘oh, yes, I remember!’”

He paused to change tack. “Okay… what about… Octopus? Octagon?” Then, after another pause, “Autumn?”

Carolyn looked at him for a long moment. “I am far too tired to explain the particulars of English phonetics tonight,” she declared. “Octagon it shall be.”


	2. Umbrella

“He was probably just _holding_ it upside down, Dear Heart. You know how he likes to shake it to dry it a bit before he brings it inside.”

“No, I’m telling you, he has an upside down umbrella!”

“Yes, but don’t you see - I could have an upside down… an upside down clock, you see, if I just put it like this. It doesn’t mean it’s a whole new invention, I’ve just turned it on its head.”

“I know that. But I’m not talking about an upside down clock, I’m talking about an upside down umbrella.”

“Surely you realise that it would _collect_ rain, though, if it was the wrong way up…”

“No, it’s not… listen to me. It’s not a normal umbrella held upside down like a… cereal bowl. It’s a special umbrella that opens different. So when it’s closed, the open bit is on the opposite end to the handle. Then it slides up and comes, sort of, around itself, and then it looks like a normal umbrella except it’s _not_.”

“…alright. I can see I’m getting nowhere, here. We’ll ask him, shall we? Herc? Could you bring your umbrella here a minute?”

“I… can? Why? Is it raining in the kitchen? Because if we have a leak then I can’t help but think we need a more permanent solution.”

“No, it’s to prove a point. Come here. Now, let’s just….”

“You SEE?”

“….oh.”

“It’s brilliant, isn’t it?”

“It appears I owe you an apology, Arthur.”

“That’s okay. I just wanted you to see how great it is!”

“Yes, you were right, it is… very unusual. Where did you get this fascinating monstrosity, Hercules?”

“Florida. And it’s not a monstrosity, it’s a very sensible design! You see, all the droplets end up on the inside, so it doesn’t drip everywhere…”

“Yes, yes, don’t ruin it by explaining it. You’ll start to sound like one of Arthur and Martin’s cinema dates.”

“Hey!”

 


	3. Chat

_**Arthur Shappey added you to the group ‘OJS!!!!!!!’** _

Arthur… Explain this. ~ _Carolyn S._

Oh hi Mum!! I added you ages ago, have you only just opened it up?! ~ _ARTHUR SHAPPEY ESQ._

Welcome to hell, Carolyn. ~ _D_

Hello, my darling. ~ _Herc_

Oh God. No. No, if we’re going to do this, it will be without pet names, thank you. ~ _Carolyn S._

And what, for the record, is ‘this’? ~ _D_

I assume it’s a channel by which I can issue commands, and you three will set down your not-so-smart phones, and jump up to do my bidding. ~ _Carolyn S._

Not quite, in fact. ~ _D_

We’ve been playing word games mostly. Sometimes Douglas sends a picture of his cat. ~ _ARTHUR SHAPPEY ESQ._

I didn’t know you had a cat, Douglas. ~ _Carolyn S._

Ah, well, you see. That’s the sort of thing you’ll know about now. Employer-employee relations, and all that. ~ _D_

I have two employee relations already. That is my limit, I’m afraid. ~ _Carolyn S._

Well, go on. Let’s see it. ~ _Carolyn S._

See what? ~ _Herc_

The cat! ~ _Carolyn S._

He’s out mousing, I think. Perhaps later. ~ _D_

Spoilsport. ~ _Carolyn S._

Arthur, are you downstairs? ~ _Herc_

Oh, for goodness’ sake. Just shout, we’re in the same house. ~ _Carolyn S._

It’s quieter this way. ~ _Herc_

Yes, I’m downstairs! Why, are you wanting tea? ~ _ARTHUR SHAPPEY ESQ._

I wouldn’t say no. ~ _Herc_

You see, Carolyn, it’s actually a channel through which *we* issue commands and *Arthur* scurries off and obeys. ~ _D_

…I’ll give it 3 days, but if you get too annoying, I’ll be finding an exit button. If there is one. Is there an exit button? ~ _Carolyn S._

Nobody tell her. ~ _D_

 


	4. Candle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, Carolyn/Douglas! I don’t write them as often as Hercolyn but I will never not ship them.

“Could you blow that out, please?”

“Blow what out?”

“The — flame.”

“You may have to give me more clues. Where is the flame?”

“Don’t be smart. There’s just one flame in the room.”

“I can’t see it. What have you set light to?”

“…the wax stick. On the shelf, to your left.”

“Ah, you mean this?”

“Of course I mean that.”

“Why did you not just say so?”

“I did.”

“Yet you did not use the real name of the wax stick.”

“Nor did you, just then.”

“How true. I must say, it was much less hard to keep up this game when I just saw you at work.”

“Yes. Now there is no rest from it.”

“…do you wish there was?”

“Of course not. I’d rather— Damn!”

“Ha! I win!”

“It was very unfair of you to turn the conversation to such a serious topic! And with that look on your face, too.”

“Don’t make excuses. It’s not becoming.”


End file.
